Weird Conversion Error inputText behavior with Dates

I have two inputText fields that accept a start date and an end date that are used to retrieve data from the database and display the results in a dataTable after clicking a search button.

Both fields are coded the same, however, on either clicking search button again or paginating the result set, the first inputText is returning a Conversion Error. If I add a third inputText field, with some hard coded value, to render prior to the start date, there is no Conversion Error.

This code results in a Conversion Error

This code does NOT result in a Conversion Error and page works as intended?

Has anyone encountered this and give some info on possible solutions?
Using RSA 7.5 and JSF